Super Bowl 2014: Position-by-Position Breakdown of Each Team

Now that Super Bowl XLVIII is right around the corner, and it appears as though the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks will be fortunate enough to get some decent weather, the strategies and plans of each team may change slightly to accommodate the warmer climate.

With the weather forecast now showing no signs of snow and approaching 50 degrees, according to Weather.com, the game should be dominated by the running game and defense by a lesser extent.

Now that both teams appear to be able to unleash their full arsenal of potential as they did during the regular season, the most accurate way to predict a possible outcome is to compare these competitors by their strengths at each position.

Quarterback

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

Both of these teams have very strong signal-callers at the helm. The surging Peyton Manning has been phenomenal this season, breaking single-season records for touchdown passes and passing yards. Russell Wilson is one of the most promising up-and-coming quarterbacks in today's NFL.

Both of these quarterbacks were extremely efficient throughout the 2013-14 regular season:

Peyton Manning vs. Russell Wilson: 2013-14 Regular Season

Player

Comp %

Yards

TDs

INTs

Rating

Manning

68.3

5,477

55

10

115.1

Wilson

63.1

3,357

26

9

101.2

ESPN.com

Wilson was able to add another 539 rushing yards and one score to his totals throughout the season as well. However, after a record season and continued success during the playoffs, Manning gets the upper hand here.

Advantage: Broncos

Running Back

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The Broncos and Seahawks have been able to maintain balanced offenses all season and into the postseason. With talented running backs on both teams, both are capable of producing devastating runs at any point.

Both of these players were able to rattle off similar regular-season performances. Although, it has been Lynch who continued to display his dominance throughout the playoffs, with two 100-plus yard games and three touchdowns.

Advantage: Seahawks

Wide Receiver

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Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate have been a solid duo for the Seahawks. The team will become even more dangerous during the Super Bowl due to the return of Percy Harvin. However, it is almost impossible to look beyond the Broncos' trio of Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Wes Welker when speaking of wide receivers:

Broncos Wide Receiver Stats: 2013-14 Regular Season

Player

Receptions

Yards

TDs

Thomas

92

1,430

14

Decker

87

1,288

11

Welker

73

778

10

NFL.com

Especially with Manning at the helm, this is an easy advantage for Denver.

Advantage: Broncos

Tight End

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

With a young quarterback at the helm, the tight end position is one that can stand an upgrade for Seattle. Zach Miller has been serviceable, but he is nowhere near the threat of Denver's Julius Thomas:

Julius Thomas vs. Zach Miller: 2013-14 Regular Season

Player

Receptions

Yards

TDs

Thomas

65

788

12

Miller

33

387

5

ESPN.com

This isn't really much of a comparison, as the edge easily goes to Denver.

Advantage: Broncos

Offensive Line

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

During the 2013-14 regular season, the Broncos offensive line was second in the league in pass protection with a positive 51.6-overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus (subscribers link). The Seahawks struggled in that department, ranking 24th overall with a negative-14.0 grade.

Blocking for the run shows the same story for both teams. Denver was much more efficient, ranking eighth in the league with a positive-12.6 grade, according to Pro Football Focus (subscribers link). Again, Seattle struggled, recording a negative-49.0 grade, which was good enough for 23rd in the league.

Both teams have dealt with injuries along the line this year; however, it appears that Denver has been much better equipped to handle the ensuing changes.

Advantage: Broncos

Defensive Line

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Seattle has been absolutely dominant on the defensive front this season. Over the regular season, the defensive line accounted for 31.5 sacks and only gave up an average of 3.9 yards per carry against the run. This is an absolute perfectly balanced line.

Denver's defensive line has quietly produced this year. They accounted for 31.5 sacks and only gave up an average of 3.9 yards per carry against the run. Like Seattle, Denver has been able to produce a very effective, balanced defensive line.

These lines have been very efficient and are extremely close regarding talent. However, Denver is without key players Kevin Vickerson and Derek Wolfe, which affords Seattle the edge.

Advantage: Seahawks

Linebackers

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Again, both teams are fortunate enough to have a stellar linebacker corps. Danny Trevathan has been fantastic for the Broncos this season, totaling 129 tackles, two sacks and three forced fumbles. Bobby Wagner continues to produce for Seattle, totaling 120 tackles and five sacks.

The difference here once again is the injury bug. The Broncos have lost sack specialist Von Miller for the season, while Seattle remains relatively unscathed in this department.

Advantage: Seahawks

Secondary

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

The difference in this area of the field is absolutely night and day. The Seahawks boast the league's best pass defense, allowing an average of just 172.0 passing yards per game over the regular season. The Broncos, meanwhile, allowed an average of 254.4 passing yards per game, ranking 27th in the league.

The same can be said for the turnover department. Richard Sherman had a great regular season with eight interceptions. Earl Thomas, Byron Maxwell and Kam Chancellor also had fine totals this year.

For the Broncos, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Chris Harris were the only members of the secondary to record at least three interceptions over the regular season.